1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inverter connection terminal assembly and, more particularly, to an inverter connection terminal assembly for an electric compressor, in which a plurality of connectors are arranged in the horizontal direction of the inverter connection terminal assembly so as to reduce the external diameter of the compressor.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In general, a variety of compressors, such as a reciprocating compressor, a rotary compressor, a screw compressor, etc., are applied to refrigeration and air conditioning systems.
The reciprocating compressor sucks, compresses, and discharges a working fluid, i.e., refrigerant, while a piston reciprocates in a cylinder, and the rotary compressor compresses the refrigerant while a rotor rotates in a cylinder.
In the scroll compressor, the refrigerant is compressed in a pocket, whose volume varies, disposed between scroll wraps formed in a fixed scroll and an orbiting scroll, respectively, while the orbiting scroll orbits with respect to the fixed scroll.
Meanwhile, an electric compressor, which uses an electric motor as a power source, comprises a motor unit including a drive motor and a compressor unit for compressing the refrigerant.
Recently, an inverter for controlling the rotational speed of the drive motor is provided in the electric compressor to variably control the cooling efficiency of the refrigeration and air conditioning system when external load conditions are changed.
FIG. 1A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an electric compressor in accordance with a prior art.
As shown in FIG. 1A, in the prior art electric compressor, a compressor unit (not shown) is provided on one side 11 of a compressor housing 10 and a driver motor (not shown) is provided on the other side 12.
Moreover, an inverter 20 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the compressor housing 10 adjacent to the driver motor, specifically in an inverter housing 21 formed on the outer circumferential surface of the compressor housing 10.
Here, the inverter 20 variably controls the rotational speed of the drive motor to control the amount of refrigerant circulated through an air conditioner cycle and includes a printed circuit board (PCB) on which various circuit elements are mounted and other connecting wires. The bottom surface of the PCB is arranged to be in contact with the inner bottom surface of the inverter housing 21 by a compound having insulation and heat dissipation performance.
The circuit elements mounted on the PCB can be classified into low power elements consuming low power and high power elements consuming higher power.
The low power elements include an MCU having an IC in which an inverter operation program is stored, and other OP AMP circuits, and the high power elements include an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) for the operation of the drive motor, an intelligent power module (IPM) having a motor drive function, a high voltage regulator, an inductor, an input capacitor, etc.
Moreover, the inverter 20 is electrically connected to the drive motor through a motor-inverter connection terminal assembly (A) as shown in FIG. 1B.
The motor-inverter connection terminal assembly (A) includes a connection terminal 40, in which upper and lower terminal projections 46 and 44 project from the upper and lower surfaces of a plate 41, respectively, cables 43 and 45 connected to the connection terminal 40, and connectors for connecting the connection terminal 40 and the cables 43 and 45, respectively.
First, the inverter connection cable 43 extending from the inverter 20 is connected to the upper terminal projection 46, and the motor connection cable 45 extending from the motor is connected to the lower terminal projection 44.
Moreover, male connectors 46a and 44a are fixedly mounted on the upper and lower terminal projections 46 and 44, respectively, and female connectors 43a and 45a are installed on the cables 43 and 45 extending from the inverter 20 and the motor, respectively, such that the male connectors 46a and 44a are connected to the female connectors 43a and 45a. 
The terminal projections 46 and 44 and the male connectors 46a and 44a may be fixed by welding or the like.
However, in the above-described prior art electric compressor, the lower terminal projection 44 and the motor connection cable 45 are connected in a straight line in terms of the characteristics of the connectors, which requires a large space in the vertical direction, thus increasing the external diameter of the compressor.
Moreover, during the operation of the compressor, the cables 43 and 45 may be disconnected from the connection terminal 40 due to vibration, thus cutting off the power supply.